eccleston



C. W. ECCLESTON.

MINERAL SEPARATOR.

APPucmon msu maza, 91m

Patentd Oct. 21, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l Invertia,

Charles lf'ccksion C. W. ECCLESTON.

MINERAL SEPARATOR.

Armcmma min 11u11. 2s. 191s.

1 ,$319,646.4 Patented 001. 21, 1919.

2 Salus-guiar 2. 6

speculation nutten raten.

t. w, mcmson, or Los morals. camomru.

nranaron.

Patented Oct. 21, 1919.

Application med August 88, 19in lcrial jre. 116,555.

To all whom/ it may concern;

Be it known that I, Cuentas W. Eccnns- ToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the count of Los Angeles and State of California, ave discovered and invented a new and useful Mineral-Separator, of which the following is a s ecificatlon.

his invention relates to devices for separating from each other particles and substances having different specific gravities.

An object of this invention isy to provide superior means for carryin oil the gan e in separators of the so-ca ed dry was er type and for producing emulsion in flotation separating apparatus.

An object o this invention is to provide a highly eiiicient, durable mineral separator which will operate for an indefinite time with air p'assed freely in very minute and evenly distributed jets over a wide surface, but which will not allow line articles of the material to pass down throng 'the distributer when the air current is not active.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ore concentrating table that is automatically adjustable to allow the age therethrough of a ater or less vo ume of fluid as the impellmg pressure increases or decreases with minimum variation in the velocity of the -iiuid as it issues throu h the table, thus to adapt a device to han e va rions quantities of pulp in a 'ven time without producing excessive b asts or 'ets of fluid which might be found determinental in the operation to be performed.

I have` discovered that all of the requirements hereinbefore called for 'and pointed out ma be met by providin a riiiied concentratin table having a exible, elastic, stretchab e rubber sheet, of the kind used for surgical bandages, dentists rubber dams, inner tubes of pneumatic tires and the like, perforated by a fine point, such as a cambric needle, or by a flat needle or a needle angular in cross-section, and applied in unstretched condition to form a part of the table top. I have discovered that a concentrator table constructed with such a sheet is of far greater efficiency than concentrator tables eretofore known in that the se eration is effected more evenly and that t e liability of clogging and wearing out is practically eliminated.

I have discovered that an ore concentrating table top of this character will autoa trian matically eliminate-all liability to clo and will remain free and constantly rea y for Vaction during use and non-use.

'Other objects, advantages and features of novelty ma appear from the accompanying drawings, t e subjoined detailed description and the appended claim.

The invention may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawin Figure 1 is a fragmental sectional e evation of a dry process ore concentrator constructed in' accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a view analogous to Fig. 1 illustrating the 4application ofthe invention to a dotation concentrator cell..

Fig. 3 is a fragmental plan of the device shown in IFig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a full size detached fragmental view of the normally unstretched ore concentrator table to sheet shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The wi th of the slits is exaggerated.

Fig. 5 is an exaggerated fragmental view of the concentrator in action.-

Fig. 6' is a fragmental plan of a concentrating table of the character shown in Fi 1.

Fig. 7 is an exaggerated fragmental p an of the sheet or surface shown in the preceding views.

Fi 8 is a fragmental plan on the scale of 1g.'4 showin the onward face of the table top sheet as t e same may appear when stretched.l

The slits are so narrow that they are invisible-in Fi s. 1,2, 3 and 6.

The strete able sheet 1"is preferably of india rubber, thus securing an impervious character, high elasticity, great durability,

and high power of resistance to theracids and chemicals likely to be present or to be used in metallurglcal and other arts in which this inventlon will be found useful. The sheet is provided with normally closed perforations 2. Said perforations may be produced in various ways, and I have produced in a rubber'sheet perforations of the character indicated; Said perforations being made by means of a pointed needle having ar cross-section with sharp corners. aid needle may be operated by means of en ordinary sewing machine mechanism, the lines of perforations beingmade by runnin the sheet through the sewing machine 1n were being stitched by themac e. These perforations may be made as large or small as deemed advisable, and the rows as esame manner as thou h the sheet ber5forme'dofaframe be acciden close together as desired; and I have employedcerforations consisting of slits each of whi is about 332 of an inch in len h extending through a sheet somewhat ess than El, of an inch in thickness. These roportions or others may be employe as found advisable.

It is deemed preferable to make the perforations in the form'of slits so that as the material is stretched, the openings therethrou h may be very narrow and fine but capab e of allowing considerable liquid or air to flow through when the sheet is stretched. ,y

It is understood that various thicknesses of material ma be employed and that varions lengths o perforations ma be made in Asuch material, the rinciple eing that the material shall be of) such character that when the element is normal, that is to say not stretched, the slits will beclosed and the material will be impervious to the passin of lluids and other highly mobile materia s under a limited pressure which may be predetermined for the di'erent concentrator tables.

In Fi 1 the normally closed perforated stretcha le highly elastic sheet 1 is shown mounted upon supporting bars 3 and held in place by strips above. a 'ressure chainl and a sheet metal bottom 7, air being admitted to said pressusre chamd l)ler throbe h a eompli'tesled air 1pe.,sai, ttom sup' a shaking frame 9 which lilxigay bellperatedllby any of the well known means for operating a vseparatin table. -Said lloor is also shown provided with a channel 10 and a draw-olf spout 11 closed by a plug 12 for the periodic discharte of an material that might y force into the air chamber.

In the practical operation of this' device the pulp will be fed Von to the table byliand orany other well known means while the air pressure is on, and such pressure will be regulated to stretch and' distort the material in the inter-strip spaces 13, so that the air will ass thro h and buoy up the pul above t e separating surface 1 of the tab e. Whenever the air pressure is reduced to a determined point the distortion ceases and the perforations are automatically closed, and in ractice no particles of the solid material w pass through or even gain admission to the perforations, so that Witness:

the flow of air may cease without allowing a portion ofl the solid pulverized material lto pass below the upper face of separating VFigl 1. The air is applied from the air chest 15 supplied through air pressure pipe 16 in practically the same manner as in Fig. 1.

n the several views the character c indicates a cell one superficial boundary of which is formed by a perforated elastic exansible sheet such as above described havlng perforations, slits or pores 2 adapted to be expanded by ex ansion of the sheet; and it is understood t at the means to apply pressure to one side of the sheet to stretch or distort the sheet and lthus to open and expand the perforations, slits or pores 2 therein may be of `various characters, as compressed air apparatus effective through compressed air pipe 8,'or 4any other means that may be employed to distort the sheet over limited areas in which expansion may occur.

4A new application for patent, Serial No. 241,707,1i1ed June 24 1918, and co-pending herewith has been filed fora riilled neumatic ore concentrating table, and sai new application includes claims the speci-6e application to the pneum tic concentrator which are not' claimed. herein under requirement of made in th prosecution of this application.

I claim:

A mineral separator comprisin a table, a top therefor formed of a rubber s eet having slit like needle perforations therethrou h that are normally closed and that are. apted to be opened by air pressure; means whereby air pressure is applied therethrough from below to comminuted material to separate the gangue from the values, and means ,for delivering comminuted material tothe table top.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set m hand at Los Angeles, California, this 1 th da of Au st, 1916.

oHliRLE W. EccLnsToN.

Jam R. TowNsnND. t 

